Door latch operating unit



NOV- 19, 1957 F. J. MccoNNELL ET AL 2,813,738

DOOR LATCH OPERATING UNIT Filed May l5, 1955 frraiP/vgr United States Patent O DOOR LATCH OPERATING UNIT Frank J. McConnell and Robert I. Zimmermann, New Britain, Conn., assignors to The American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticnt Application May 1s, 195s, serial No. 508,018

4 claims. (c1. 292-163) This invention relates to a door latch operating unit and more particularly to improvements in the cylindrical door latch operating unit disclosed in the co-pending application of Frank J. McConnell, Serial No. 310,031, led September 17, 1952.

The primary object of our invention is to provide an improved cylindrical door latch operating unit which is much more durable than its predecessor described in the above mentioned co-pending application and yet is extremely inexpensive to manufacture.

This and other objects of the present invention are attained particularly as a result of the novel retractor and retractor guide means employed in the operating unit.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the cylindrical door latch embodying our invention and particularly illustrating the construction of the operating unit thereof which is shown partially in central horizontal section.

Fig. 2 is a front View of said operating unit, partially in vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 5, and illustrating the guide plate employed in the operating unit for guiding the forward end of the retractor.

Fig. 4 is a sectional end view of the operating unit, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l, with the outer rose removed therefrom to illustrate the cover plate for the casing of the unit.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the door latch illustrating the operating unit in central vertical section.

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the guide plate which supports and guides the forward end of the retractor.

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the retractor employedl in the operating unit.

Fig. 8 is an isometric view of the retractor guide employed therein.

The cylindrical door latch illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing includes an operating unit 5 and a latch unit 6A which are mounted on a door 7 in the conventional-manner; said operating unit being received in a hole 8 bored through the face ofthe door and the latch unit being received in a hole 9 bored into the edge of the door at right angles to and intresecting the hole 8. The latch unit is attached to the operating unit in the-conventional manner as will be hereinafter described.

The operating unit comprises a cylindrical cup-shaped casing 10 which houses and supports the latch operating mechanism and is provided at its inner end with an integral Wall 11 having a centrally located circular opening 12 therethrough, and at its opposite open end with prongs 13 which project longitudinally therefrom; said casing also having the conventional longitudinally extending opening lil-a in the front portion of its cylindrical wall which-provides access to the retractor and permits attachment of thelatch unit. A cover plate 14 is secured to the open outer end of the casing 10 by the prongs 13 which project through similarly disposed slots 15 in said cover plate and are peened over its outer surface to thereby firmly secure the plate against the end of the casing. The said cover plate has a centrally disposed opening 16 therethrough which is located coaxially with respect to the opening 12 in the end wall 11.

The casing contains a U-shaped retractor guide 17 including a transversely curved base portion 18 from the upper and lower edges of which project centrally disposed parallel arms 19 19. The retractor guide 17 is disposed within the casing 10 with the base portion 18 thereof resting against the cylindrical wall of the casing and the arms 19 19 extending forwardly towards the front of the casing and equi-distant from the longitudinal axis thereof. The said base portion 18 has lugs 20 20 projecting from its opposite ends which are received in slots 21-21 in the end wall 11 and in the cover plate 14 to thereby retain the said base portion of the guide in position within the casing; the slot 21 in the cover plate 14 being an extension of the slot 15 which receives the prong 13.

A guide plate 22 extends across the front portion of the casing adjacent the opening 10-a in the wall thereof and perpendicularly to the arms 19 19 of the retractor guide. Said guide plate has lugs 23-23 extending from each end thereof and said lugs are received in slots 24 24 and 25-25 in the end wall 11 and in the cover plate 14, respectively, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, to thereby secure the guide plate in the casing. Said guide plate has oppositely disposed slots 2(5 26` therein which receives the free ends of the arms 19-19 of the retractor guide to thereby firmly support the forward end of said retractor guide as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. The guide plate 22 also contains an opening 27 therethrough having lugs 28-28 extending perpendicularly from its upper and lower edges and an elongated lug 29 extending perpendicularly from its outer edge. A portion of the inner side of the plate is cut away, as at 30, to facilitate assembly of the mechanism, but this side of the opening 27 does have guide lugs 31-31 extending perpendicularly therefrom as shown in Fig. 6. The opposite edges of said plate also contain notches 32-32 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

It will be seen from the drawingv that the rear end portion of the retractor guide is held firmly within the casing by the lugs 20-20 which enter the slots 2.1 21 and that the forward end of said` guide is rigidly supported by the guide plate 22 which is secured in the casing between the end wall 1,1 and the cover plate 14. A retractor 33 is slidably supported by the retractor guide 17 and the guide plate 22 and, on reference to Fig. 7, kit will be seen that the retractor consists of a base in the form of a at plate 34 having stiifening flanges 35 35 Iextending perpendicularly from its upper and lower edges. The -plate 34 contains centrally located slots 36-36 adjacent each of the anges 35 35 and said slots receive the arms A19-19 of the retractor guide upon which the said plate portion, forming the rear end of the retractor, is slidably supported. A reinforcing plate 37V is disposed against the rear surface of the plate 34 and has lugs 38-38 extending perpendicularly from its upper and lower edges through the slots 36 36 and adjacent the opposite edges of the arms 19 19 to provide bearings at the sides of said slots. t Spaced latch bolt retracting fingers 3,9 39 extend perpendicularly from said plate 34 and are connected at their outer ends by a strap 39-a which prevents relative movement between the fingers. Thefingers 39 394 have lugs 40-40 projecting therefrom through aligned slots ,in thelplate 34 and inthe reinforcingplate 3 7 yand said lugs are bent over-against -the rearfof the plate- 37, as-illustrated in Fig.. 5, to thereby secure said plates together and the ngers to said plates. The outer ends of the iingers are bent inwardly las^at-=41ll41 'tdpermitf engagement of said -retractor 'with the" conventional retractor! bar 421 'extendingy l from the ilatch "unit 6.-v

Tlie retractor fingers SSV-extend through 'the opening 27`in the guide plate-22and are guided for reciprocal sliding movement therein bythe lugs 28-28 which engage the upper and llower at sides of the fingers, and by the lugs 29`and 231-31- which yengage the opposite edges of said ngers and prevent twisting lofA the retractor undertheaction of the rollbacks.-

TheLretractor actuating meanscarried at the inner and the router! sides of thelcasing of the present operating unit are'the same as previously disclosed in the co-pending applica'tion 'of=Frank-I. McConnell, Serial No. 312,291, tiled September30',-l952, and nowAPatent No. 2,759,750, issued August 2l; 195 Said operatingmeans include elongated tubularbushingmembers 43+43 which are rotatably contained-in the openingsi 12 and 16 :in the end wall 11 and cover plate-214, respectively. Each ofithe said bushings is provided with flanges 44-44 and .a Vprojection 45 which prevent axialy movement of the bushingsoutwardly of the casing. notches 32-32 inthe opposite sides of the guide plate 22 are.' provided to accommodate the projections 45 and the rollback portionsof the tubular bushings. Each of said bushingsl contains a plurality of equally spaced slots 46 which extend thereinto for a portion of its length and receive similarly disposed lugs 47 on a retaining washer 48 which-'surrounds the bushing and abuts the outer surface ofthe casing member in which the bushing is mounted. Thelugs 47 project through the slots 46` and into the bore of-the ybushing wherein they are engaged by the end of the `respective tubular spindles 49 and 50 which is each telescopically received in the bore of its respective bushing and is secured therein` with its inner end abutting the lugs 47-by being solderedspot welded, or otherwise fastened to lug-53 on the base 18 of' the retractor guide and its opposite end supported on a similar positioning lug 54 which is disposed centrally of the reinforcing plate 37 on the retractor. n The spring is especiallyv designed so that it will have the least possible compressed height to permit maximum rearward movement of the retractor byl the rollbacks Y The spindles 49 and 50 carry inner and outer knobs 55 and 56, respectively, each of which has a shank portion which telescopically receives its respective spindle. The inner knob 55 is prevented from rotating relatively to the inner spindle 49 by a projection 57 which extends inwardly from the shankthereof into a slot in the spindle, and is retained on said spindle by a depressible knob retainer 58 asy fully described in said co-pending application Serial No. 310,031. Rotation of the outer knob 56 on the outer spindle. 50 is prevented by a project-ion 59 which lextends intothe slot in theouter spindle and said knob is permanentlyvsecured on fsaid spindle by means of an ear 60v whichvis bent inwardly` from the shank of the knob int-o a hole infthe spindle.

The cover plate.14 hasa decorative rose 61 permanently secured thereto and said plate is provided lwithlspurs 62462- '.whichproject perpendiculai'ly therefrom and "are adapted to pierce the door to preventi'otation of the lock It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 3 that they thereon. Said cover plate is lalso provided with oppositely. disposed abutments 63-63 which are lanced from the plate and project outwardly therebeyond to provide stops engageable by a projection 4S-a on the retaining washer 48 for limiting the rotation of the outer knob 56 and the rollback 51 operated thereby in either direction.

A clamping-:plate 64 of conventional form is provided on the inner side'of the lock and said plateV is adjustable relatively. tok theouter'cover plate 14 to permit installation ofthe lock on doors of different thicknesses. The operating unit is secured toa door by screws 654-65 which extend through holes in the clamping plate 64 andare threaded into holes'in the casingr 10. The retaining washer 48 on the inner side of the lock also contains a projection 48-a, not shown-which engages lthescrews 65-65 to limit rotation of the outer knob.

The latch operating unit is supplied as a pre-assembled unit-andtoinstallit in avdoor, havingA the required holes 8 and 9eboredtherein, requires only the removal of the innerknob' SS andV the inner'rose 66 from the clamping t' plate-64. The latch unit 6 is first 'inserted into the hole'9 and is secured therein in the normal manner. ing ,unitisthen inserted intothe hole 8 from the outer side ofithedoorwithfthe ends 41-41 of` the retractor fingers in position to receive `the lugs on the retractor bar- 42 extending :from thewlatch unit.l The operating unit is moved through the hole untilthe cover plate 14 abuts the outer surface of they door. The inner clamping plate is then :placedin position -against the inner surface ofthe door and-the'screws 65-65 are threaded into the casing 10 and, when tightened, securely clamp the operating unit to the door and urge the spurs 62--62 thereinto. The inner rose 66is then applied. over the clamping plate 64, and the inner knob is put on `the inner spindle 49 to complete thesinstallaton.

Itwill be understood that when either the inner or the outer knob is rotated in either direction, it will rotate its respective rollback 51 which will urge the retractor rearwardly inthe casing against the spring 52 to withdraw the latch bolt connected thereto.

We claim:

1. In a door latchioperating unit, a casing havingan opening in a wall thereof, a Ulshaped retractor guide secured Within said-casing and including ,a .base portion disposed opposite saidv opening and having a pair of at horizontally disposed arms extending therefrom in parallel spaced relation with`thefla`t faces of the arms opposing each other, a guide plate secured within said casing and extending thereacross inwardly of the edges of said opening and perpendicularly to said arms with the free endsof the' arm's supported by the guide plate, said guide' plate having an opening therethrough located between' said arms and aligned witlitheA opening in the wall of the casing, a retractor comprising a rear plate member having a pairof latch blt'tre'tracting fingers 'extending therefrom, said plate member being disposed perpendiculaly'to and be-V tween 'said arms and having slots in its upper and lower edgeportions'receiving'said arms whereby said plate member is slidably 'guided'ton said retractor guide, said latch bolt retracting fingersr extendingthrough and being slidably'V guided inthe opening in'said guide plate.

2. 'In'a'door"latch"operating unit, a casing having an opening ina'wall thereof, a U-shaped retractor guideV secured withinsaidcasing 'and including a base portionl disposed opposite'said opening'and having la pair of flat tion; and anopenin'g 'therethrough `located between said arms andin 'register withthe opening in the wall 1of the casing",`l aV retractor including 'a 'rear plate 'member' dis'- The operatposed between said arms and extending perpendicularly thereto, said plate member having slots in its upper and lower edge portions receiving said arms and a pair of at latch bolt retracting fingers extending perpendicularly therefrom between said arms and through the opening in said guide plate, said arms slidably guiding the said plate member of said retractor and said guide plate slidably guiding the said ngers.

3. In a door latch operating unit, a cylindrical casing having an opening in its cylindrical wall and an end Wall, the opposite end of said casing being open, a cover plate secured to the open end of said casing, a U-shaped retractor guide contained Within said casing and including a base portion disposed opposite said opening and having a pair of at horizontally disposed arms extending therefrom in parallel spaced relation with the at faces of the arms opposing each other, a lug extending from each end of the base portion through aligned slots in said end wall and in said cover plate for securing the base portion to the casing, a guide plate contained within said casing and extending thereacross inwardly of the edges of said opening and perpendicularly to said arms, said guide plate having slots therein receiving the free ends of said arms and lugs on its opposite ends extending through aligned slots in said end wall and said cover plate whereby said guide plate is secured within said casing, said guide plate also having an opening therethrough located between said arms and in register with the opening in the wall of the casing, a retractor comprising a rear plate member having at latch bolt retracting ngers extending perpendicularly therefrom, said plate member being disposed between said arms and perpendicularly thereto and having slots in its upper and lower edge portions receiving said arms whereby said plate member is guided for sliding movement on said retractorguide, said fingers extending through and being slidably guided in the open ing in said guide plate.

4. In a door latch operating unit, a casing having an opening in a wall thereof, retractor guide means secured within said casing and including a pair of at horizontally disposed arms extending toward said opening in parallel spaced relation, a retractor comprising a rear plate member having a pair of latch bolt retracting n-gers extending perpendicularly therefrom, said plate member being disposed between said arms and perpendicularly thereto and having slots in its upper and lower edge portions adapted to receive said arms, said slots being wider than said arms; a reinforcing plate secured to the plate member of said retractor and having slots in its upper and lower edge portions registering with the slots in said plate member, lugs at the opposite ends of the slots in said reinforcing plate extending perpendicularly therefrom between the edges of the slots in said plate member and the edges of said arms, said lugs providing bearings for slidably guiding said plate member on said arms, and means contained within said casing for slidably guiding said latch bolt retracting fingers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,414,019 Hjort Apr. 25, 1922 1,755,434 Ellingson Apr. 22, 1930 2,038,907 Schlage Apr. 28, 1936 2,314,488 Fellows Mar. 23, 1943 2,351,077 Segal June 13, 1944 2,733,088 Fisler et al. Jan, 31, 1956 

